Counter-pressure member for sheet feeding and like machines



Feb. 14, 1933. c. E. HUNTER 1,897,054

COUNTER PRESSURE MEMBER FOR S'IIEETI FEDING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed 1951H @1W TER Patented Feb. 14, 1933 Unirse" starts PATENT OFFICE CHARLESERNEST HUNTER, OF WIlfIBLEDON, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THEACCOUNTlNG & TABULATING CORPORATION F GT. BRITAIN LIMITED, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND f COUNTER-PRESSURE MEMBER FOR SI-EEET FEEDIN G AND LIKE MACHINESApplication filed November l, i931, Serial No. 575,864, and in GreatBritain November 21, 1930.

' rIhis invention relates to counter-pressure devices, particularly forsheet feeding and like machines, having pressure applying members suchas rollers and the like, and has for its object to provide an improvedform of such device which will operate at high speeds, with the minimumof vibration and noise, and in which the size and weight of the movingparts is smaller than usual. Y

Counter-pressure rollers frequently constitute one of a pair of rollersadapted to feed forward flat articles'such as pap-er strips or sheetmetal and the obj-ect of providing the counter-pressure roller is toensure that the strip or sheet passing between the rollers has exertedupc-n it suicient pressure to ensure its being fed forward.

In addition, means must be provided for permitting the counter-pr`essuremember to move bodily in order to compensate for any variation in thethickness of the sheet.

To this end, according to the present invention, a counter-pressuredevice. comprising a pressure applying roller mounted on a fixed spindleis characterized by the feature that the roller is yieldably mountedwith respect to its supporting spindle.

The invention is applicable to rollers mounted by any suitable type ofbearing such as sliding friction bearings or roller or ball bearings.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, thecounter-pressure device comprises an inner sleeve fixed as regardsrotary movement with respect to the spindle and a resilient mediumdisposed between the sleeve and the spindle, the pressure applyingmember being mounted to rotate about the sleeve.

Preferably in such a. construction, one or more springs are interposedbetween the inner sleeve and the spindle. A suitable application of theinvention is to the counteroressure roller of a air of feed rollers forexample, in a sorting machine for statistical cards, thecounter-pressure roller may be constituted by the outer bush of asliding friction bearing of which an inner Asleeve which supports thebush is itself iioatingly and nonrotatably mounted upon a fixed spindle;or

1 Fig. 3;

alternatively, in cases Where a ball bearing is employed, the outer raceconstitutes the roller whilst the inner race. is floatingly andnon-rotatably mounted upon the spindle.

It will be appreciated that with such constructions, the mass of thoseparts which move is relatively small ensuring a negligible inertiaeffect so that they can freely follow the variations in the surfacecontour of the strip or sheet being fed without chattering,

-or sufficient vibration to cause noise..

ybearing substituted for the sliding friction bearing; Fig. t

is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 5 shows a modified form of deviceemploying a leaf spring between the bearing and the spindle;

y Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 7 shows a furthermodified form of apparatus employing a spiral spring between the bearingand the spindle, Whilst Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII- VIII ofFig. 7.

Referring first of all to Figs. l and 2, l designates a counter pressureroller which is adapted to bear against a complementary feed roller 2 soas to cause the roller 2 to grip a strip or sheet of material interposedbetween the two rollers.

The roller l is rotatably mounted upona sleeve 3, the co-bearingsurfaces 4 of the roller l, and the sleeve 3 constituting a frictionbearing for the roller. The sleeve 3 is located over a circumferentialgroove 5 formed on the spindle 6, the inner diameter of the sleeve 3being greater than the diameter of the lgroove 5, so that thejslee've 3,and:

i lcarrying roller l may move bodily in a radial direction relatively tothe spindle.` Comv pression type springs 7 are located in radial holesf. the spindle r*so as to bear radiallyY Voutwards vagainst theinner'surfaceof the sleeve 3, and thereby biasthe roller radially intoan eccentric position regard `to thel spindle;

. f iiven'lently',N shown# in; the drawing,

three springs -7 may be employed,pof which.

' Yone Vis disposed with its centre linecoincident with that radius ofthe'spindle which passes through thepoint of'contactrof the two rollerssoy Nasto take the thrust, this spring cor? fre'sponding tok the*onelocated' t on the upper -sideiof thefspindle inthe position'shown inithe drawing, whilst .the other two vsprings j which, inthedrawing, areshown as acting horizontally, Yarefin addition to beingangu-k ,-larlydisplaced` from the first spring, also 4'displaced Aaxially Valong thespindle so that .they servegto5holdzthe sleeve S-within .the

` pressing y groove. in. whichposition .the sides of the l 1 grooveserve to'preventlateral motion of the sleevewhen the tworollers areturning.idly.`

lThe vertically disposed springl maintains Qthe; counterp'ressure:roller1 aga-inst I the drivp ing roller, andwhen a card orfsheet o'fpaperisied between ther-ollerspthecounter-pres- --sureroller-will yieldattheeXpense Ofcomhis springinvorder' to accommodate thefthickness `of,the-paper. .u 1'

AvFigs. 3 and 4 show-a similar construction,

the axial length ofthe groove 5 shall be somey v what greater than thatof the'inner race 3.

each ofthe embodiments shown, other types of bearingsmay be employed asOr'eXampIe, i

sliding'frictionbearings ofthe type shown in Fig.r `lV can beusedlin theconstructions ings 7,. l

Y What I claim is; ,I c 1. In a counter-pressure shown'in Figs. 3 to 8,.place ofthe ball bear device, particular-Y Furthermore, itwill beunderstood thatin :i g

-lyfor sheet feeding and like machines, the comblnation ofi a`x'edfspin'dle, aninne'rf" sleeve fixed on theV spindle as regards.rota-A tion, a resilient mediurn disposed between the Sleeve and thespindle .andapressure apply-Y .i

sleeve. p' M .2. In a 'coun combination A of ,iiredspindld an 4innersleeve, one or moreSPiTlIglgSndSposed to act raevierefaai1 larlyforsheet feeding land4 like maChineS, the

ldgllly between Athe `sleeve dgthe'spindle and i i apressure,applyingmembeknounted toro# tate aboutthe sleefve.-4 f y1n ag'lcQunterFpressure lariy'for sheetfeeding andilivke machines,the

devicefgpaijticu'-,

combinatinfoi affixed' spindle havinf a reduced'diameter along aportionof itsfength,

a helical spring encirclingithespindle and extending over the portion ofreduced dilIIle` ter, a sleeve mounted on said helical spring,- and apressure.applying'member mounted to rotate about the Sleeve.V Iny'testimonyfwhereof I aiiix si `Figs. 5 and 6, a helicalleai spring r9 isI 4clippedor otherwise attached` to the spindle Y* 16 zaround which itpasses ina circumferential direction within the .groove 5 so that itbears 'gi gagainst the inner surface of the ksleeve or Yrace 4. v i Y 1By causing the spring to encircle the spin- Y f1. 50', dle, the roller.will be so mounted upon thev f. Y f

spindleastobe resilientlylyielding in all ra-y `dial directions.

Figs. 7 and 8.showanother embodiment of Y Y 'the inventionin which alspiral springlO enl .n .55 i' circles thespindle-passing over the groove5 andgextending axiallybeyond it in `each directionl -"Rre`ferablythespring 1Y0 is of such` ffl a' diameter thateachjend of it rwill gripthe spindlei whilst ythe portionthatpasses over Lrace u3 is only `'thespring.-v

the groove 5'i's freeso that movement or' the i lrestrictedvby. theresilienceV of Conveniently a sleeve maybe-employed dto grip thev springin position. 1 i i. t p. I @preferable ini-this @.Qesimeioehat @EARL-Es'ERNEST HUNTER] t ido

